Setts



May 29, 1923. 1,457,087

J. J. PREBLE ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COOLING AND CLEANING AIRFiled Sept. 13 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Invenior: Jams Jarvis M26 LeeliParkez',

May 29, 1923. 1,457,087

J. J. PREBLE ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS PUH LIUOLI NG AND CLEANING AIRFiled Sept. 13 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnz/enior: Jmes fire/851 2192720,Lg fii yzrkegk byhwgw Mk7 v78 5.

May 29, 1923. 1,457,087

J. J. PREBLE ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COOLING AND CLEANING AIRFiled Sept. 13 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 James (fare/is j rebie, 4/ 39 LeeParker,

Patented May 29, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,457,982 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES JARVIS runnereizmann, am) LEE H. PARKER, or BOSTON, MASSACHU-sn'rzrs, assxcnons 'ro sextan-nncrnrrmariaa comm, or BOSTON,massacnusE'r'rs, a CORPORATION or mssacnnsn'rrs.

' METHOD AND aiiranaros non COOLING AND CLEANING AIR.

Application and September 13, 1520; Serial No. 409,991.

Toallwkomitmayconcem:

Be "it known thatwe, Jiiivms JARVIS Pnnam: and LEE H. PARKER, citiiensofthe United States, and residents, respectively,

of Waltham and BostonIiIi the counties of lowing descriptiori,' 'inconnection with the Middlesezc and Suffolk, respectively, State ofMassachusetts, have-invented an Improvement in "Methods and' ApparatusIfor Cooling and CleaningAir, of whichthe folaccompanying drawings. is-s;specification, like characters on the drawings representing like'parts.

This invention relates' to methods of and 16 apparatus for cooling andcleaning air apted to be used for various purposes. In order that theprinciple of the invention may readily be'understood' we will set forthone embodiment of the apparatus of our 2o invention and the best modeknown to us for ratus embodying practicing the method or processthereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view withparts in side elevation of onetype of appapracticing the method;

Fig. 2-is avertical transverse section upon an enlarged scale of thelower part of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section upon the line 3-3 Fig. 2 and lookingdownward'in said figure;

Fig. 4 is'a detail showing the strainer .and connections and lookingfrom the right in Fig. 3 at the lower end thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a. detail in vertical section of a form of spraying nozzlepreferably employed in the-practice of the invention.

We have discovered after much experimentation that greatly improvedresults are obtained by conducting or delivering the air in asubstantially closed circuit through substantially upright passages orchambers or compartments and into which water or some other suitablecooling and cleaning medium is discharged. The air may be deliveredeither upwardly or downwardly through the passage, chamber orcompartment wherein the spraying is effected but desirably and in ordertoaccomplish the best results and as herein disclosed the air isdelivered downwardly through the chamber or the like wherein sprayingdevices -are employed that discharge the water the' invention and forsame air continuously, cleaning and cooling upwardly into the descendingair so that the water having reached the height or peaklof the ascent,thereupon descends with, or through the descending ainthus greatlyprolonging the period of contact of the air and sprayed water. but notnecessarily. theair is'circnla-ted in a closed'circuit and in suchembodiment of the invention the'air is circulated and recircul ated agreat'nurnber of times and durmg each circulation "is subjected to theand cooling 'action of the sprayed,

cleaningwater. 7

The provision according to our invention of al'closedair circuit,particularly in connection with electrical machinery has many advantagesas compared with air. systems heretofore 'u'sed. Atmospheric air varygenerally contains dirt in varying quantities, and 'particularly'is'this true in the vicinity of factories, 'power' plants and the likewhere frequently the ventilating air it obtained from outside ischarged'with smoke, fumes, acid vapors or other corrosive gases; Ourinvention'contemplates" the use of the thejsame, without any possibleway for it to mix with impurities from the outside. whereby the problemof cleaning is solved. Further. by the use of the same air subjectedalways to the same degree of cooling. the device is rendered independentof changes in the. temperature of the outs de air, the operation beingthe same in cold. warm, or moist weather. The apparatus herein disclosedavoids the use of number some ventilating air ducts and ismadeto occupya relatively small and compact space as compared with the knownventilating devices, thereby efi'ecting great economy of space which isan important consideration in factories, 'on board vessels, in powerplants and the like. Moreover, all high speed electrical machines aremore or less noisy when the ventilating air is-dischargcd toatmosphere,-but in our closed air system this is reduced to anunobjectionable tone and volume. Also, it is found that the necessaryquantity of water for removing generator losses from the heated air isconsiderably less in our closed circulation system whereby a veryappreciable saving in the quantity of water used, as compared withpresent air systems, 91'' the type where the Desirably as used forcooling and cleannig the venti sprayed water is not recirculated isellerted. The were; as it hollected aiter spraying may be removed fromthe apparatus so that the recirculating air is constantly subjected to"the cleaning andcooling action of fresh water. Within the scope andpurpose of the invention however, the sprayed-water may be cooled andrecirculated to the desired extent. i The air' cooled and cleaned asdescribed may be employed for any suita lepur'pose ,and in fact theinvention is not limited to cooling and cleaning a stream of air as itmay be employed in the cooling and cleaning moving bodies (of anydesired gas. ;W e have however chosen to illustrate the inventionlati'ng air ofan electric generator, the rotor whereof isdiagrammatically indicated .at 1 inF-ig. 1 as rotated by suitableshafting2. The stationary parts of thegerierator, a substantially,air-tight-.casing are indicated generally the arrows 3' in Fig. 1 theair is circulated past -or through theparts of the generator but is ofuse forcooling and cleanin any stream of gas, a blower being ,provied-if, unlike the instance of a generator, such a draft devjce is notinherently present in a manner that need not be more fully described-since .whileithe invention is :to be peculiarly applicable forcoolingnmd cleaning generators, it is not so limited.

The generator or other device or mechanism which is to be subjected tothe action of the air is mounted upona suitable ham 4 and beneath saidbase there is provided -a suitable uprightpassag chamber or compartment5 that desire walls and is preferably rectangular in cross section. incase a closed circulation of the air or other gas is desired, there isarranged a suitable outer casing here shown as comprising upright walls6. Got metal such for example as metal lathing-that may if desired besuitably plastered. In said walls suitable emergency dampers areprovided such as indicated at 7, 8, 9 in Fig. 1.

The passage. chamber or compartment 5 as shown most clearly in Figs. 2and 3 has 'the four walls 10. ll. 12, 13, though any other suitableshape or form may be prorided. Within said passage. chamber orcompartment and at a suitable height there are provided one, two or moreseries of spraying devices which in this embodiment of our invention aretypified as nozzles 14 of the-general type disclosed in the patent toEneas. No. 1.101 264, dated June 23. 1914. Desirably a plurality ofseries of spraying nozzles are provided and suchthat the water can bedelivered throu h one or more series as provided, su-itab e valvesprovided and not herein shown at 3 and as indicatedhy'.

found 137 has metallic side the arrangement is .17 and the location ofthe nozzles is preferably that indicated in Fig. wherefrom it willappear that the nozzles are not directly superposed and the streamstherefrom do not interfere.

The water discharged from the nozzles is in the form of very finelydivided particles so as to constitute substantially a mist particularlyin the upper part 18 of the chamber Sviewing Figs. 1 and 2. It will benoted. that by the arrangement of chambels and nozzles as hereindisclosed the warmea haust air is subjected to the cooling effect of thesprav water during the first partof the travel of the air after leavingthe generator and before it passes to the :return chambers. .u

thus minimizing: any tendency of heat absorption by the walls of thechambers.

The water discharged through the various nozzles '14 is dischargedtherefrom in a wide angle spray that is of substantially uniformhomogeneity in transverse section. the water particles being extremelyfinely divided. and particularlv in the upper part 18 of the chamber 5does the water exist as a fine mist filling the upper part of'saidchamber but falling: thereth'mi-rgh with the descending air. In order,however to prevent any possibility of the passage of large drops ofwater to the generator or other mechanism or device to which the cooledand cleansed air passes. we nrovidea'nv suitable means and herein ha erepresented a series 'of battle plates 19 shown most clearly in Fig. 2as a series of sheet metal nlates'bent into substantially V form andpreferably having edge flanges 20, 20 with perforations permitting: themto be strung upon a suitable number of rods'fll or otherwise held inplace. These haflle'plato are placed sufiicicntlv close together to prrvent the passage o ame particles of water.

lVith the apparatus in operation air mnv be taken from ani' sourceoutside the walls 6. 6 as for examp e through the einerrrencv dampers 7.8 and i rlcsircd and within the scone of the invent on said walls 6 maybe omitted in part. Desirablv however. theair is circulated in a closedcircuit and as renresenterl in Fig. l it passes upward in the directionof the arr ws 22 and is then forced bv the fan a tion of the geneintwrotor through or past the gencrator or other part that is subjected othe action thereof and then downward in the direction of a'rro s :23meeting the ascending water spray and descending with the returnthereof. The

air passes downward through the chamber 5 and between and ast thevarious nozzles 14 and then is disc iarged from the lower part of thechamber 5 in any suitable manner and in any suitable direction.Preferably, however, we provide lateral openings at one or more sides ofthe chamber 5 and desirably through two opposite walls thereof asclearly indicated in, Fig. 2. At said point there are preferablyprovided elimi nator plates which are indicated at 24, in Fig. 2 asplates placed together in parallelism, the plates being preferably of azigzag shape. These plates may be secured at their edges to the walls ofthe chamber in any suitable manner as by angle irons and in a manner notnecessary more fully to describe. Thus it will be seen that the cooledand cleansed air issues laterally in two or it may be more directionsfrom the lower part of the chamber 5. Desirably the eliminator plates24, 25 are vertica'hfor compactness of construction and toafi'ord anuninterrupted upward course for the ascending air currents. By thuspositioning the eliminator plates .vertica ly, the

eliminated moisture is caused to flow ver-- tically down and oil fromthe plates, and does not collect upon the plates in the path of the airflowing to the generator.

While any suitable means may be provided for supplying the water 'orother liquid to be sprayed the following arrangement has been found inpractice to be ex-,

ceedingly efiicient as it efi'ects the constant removal of dirt .andforeign matter out of the entire system, so that the recirculated wateris forced upwardly through the pipe,

29 and then laterally through the communicating pipe 30 represented inFig. 4 where it is received in the upper part 31 of a suitable strainer32 which effects the separation of the dirt and foreign matter from theincoming water. The water then through suitable couplings indicated at34, 35 in Fig. 4 enters the pipes '36, 37 which respectively communicatewith the pipes 15. 16 extending transversely of the chamber :1 andsupporting the spraying nozzles 14. The water from the nozzles 14 risesas stated in a spray or mist through the descending air and thendescends through the descending current of air and collects upon thedownwardly inclined bottom 38 of the chamber 5; from the lowest part ofthis bottom extends a drain pipe 39 indicated cleaning efi'ect.

culated and particularly in those communities where water is scarce.With the said T 40 also communicates a pipe 42 leading from the lowerend of the strainer '32 so that in this manner all the 'dirt collectedeither at the strainer 32 or upon the inclined bottom 38 of the chamber5 passes out of the circulating system. 7

The chamber 5 may be provided with suitable inspection doors 43permitting access to the interior of the chamber.

The pipes 15, 16 may be secured in position in any suitable manner.Herein we have represented them as at the left hand side in Figs. 2 and3 having special pipe caps adapted to abut: against the 7211113 ing 'theupward progress of the water and again acts thereon during the fall ofthe sprayed water. It ma'v ,be desirableto spray the water downward if.the air be circulated or travel'in an upward direction past suchdownwardly directed nozzles, but we have found itrpreferable to pass;the air downwardly through the chamber 5 under ordinarv conditions.

Particularly is it desirable that the water be sprayed upward into thedescending heated air in our closed circulation device. thus securingthe maximum cooling and Since the same air is continuously circulatedand recirculated it is essential that it be positively and etiicientlycooled. which result is accomplished'with great certainty by subjectingthe down flowing air to the action of the water sprayed upwardly intosaid air, and then continuing and prolonging the cooling action of thewater by allowing it to turn and-descend again in constant and intimatecontact with the descending air. It will therefore be apparent thatthere is a particular cooperation of the upwardly directed nozzles withour closed circulation device wherein the exhaust air travelsdownwardly. as above set forth.

Having thus disclosed one illustrative embodiment of the apparatus ofour invention and having described the best mode known to us forpracticing our invention, we desire it to be understood that althoughspecific terms are employed they are used in a past or through saidstructure.

2. Air cooling and cleaning apparatus comprislng, in comblnation,communicating chambers. means to circulate and recirculate mnir in adownward and then upward direction tlierethrough in substantially aclosed circuit and nozzles supported to spray li uid upwardlyagainst andinto the descen ing air current to permit the liquid to fall withEli-{he descending air current whereby the pcriod of contact of thesprayed liquid with the air current is increased; I

3. Air cooling and cleaning apparatus comprising, in combination, achamber, an outer chamber surrounding the same, and togetherconstituting substantially a closed circuit, means to circulate airupwardly through the outer chamber and downwardl through the innerchamber and nozzles posi- '-tioned in the inner chamber and upwardlydirected to spray water upwardlyinto the descending air current. I 1

4. Air cooling and cleaning apparatus adapted for use with a superpose'bod through or past which the air-iscirculate comprising in combination,a coo'lin' chamber through which the air is pass vertically downward, anouter chamber surrounding the same to receive the cooled and cleaned airupwardly therethrough, nozzles within said cooling chamber directedupward to spray water upwardly against the descending air current, andone or more assages communicating between said cham at the lowerportions thereof. the whole constituting a substantially closed circuit.

5. The met-hod'of conditioning the venti hating air for electricalmachinery which ronSiStS in passing the exhaust air vertically downwardthrough a chamber, in spraying water vertically upward into thevertically tion, a closed circuit inclu ing a cooling chamber throughwhich the air passes vertically downward anda return chambercommunicating therewith and a plurality of upwardly directed spraynozzles supported in said cooling" chamber whereby water issprayed-upwardlyinbo the descending air.

8. Apparatus for cooling and:- cleaning ventilating air andadaptedfor'use-in closed communication with structureszhavin .air circulatingmeans, comprising'in com ination, an inner chamber, an outer chambersurrounding the same, 'hpwardly directed no'zzles supported withinsaid-irmer chamber, and communicatin passages between said chamberslocated 5' 'low-said'no'zz'les,

whereby their to be treated-passes ve'rti cally downward through saidinner chamber I' in contact with liquid .from :said =ndzzles both whilesaid: liquid is travelingaupwardly against the air.andwhile.it1is'descendingtherewith and thence is :returned through saidouter chamber. for recirculation.

9. In an'asipparatusfor cooling, cleaning and conditioning theventilating-air for use with structures to be cooledpin combination,

a warm air receiving chamber which the air to be cooled,cleaned, andconditioned is passed vertically, spray means in said chamber, a returnchamber or chamhers, said receiving and return chambers together withsaid structure constituting a closed circuit for the flow of'the air,and passages in the side walls of said warm air receiving chamber topermit the lateral escape of the air to said return chamber or chambers.

In testimony whereof we have. signed our names to this specification.

JANKES JARVIS PREBLE.

LEE H. PARKER.

through- IOU

